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Pre-Season: *** Tottenham Hotspur vs MLS All-Stars OPSFMT ***

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milo said:
I'd welcome an old head to come in and guide the youngsters through but if the right player is not available, I'm relaxed about the youngsters growing together.

I think that we are at a stage where people see the weaknesses of Bentaleb/Mason and have lost sight of the positives.

I think that Liverpool will be a car crash this season. So I see fifth as ours to throw away.
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Liverpool are a bit like us, they have improved in one area but still have two flaws they haven't really looked at, however with a decent manager they should be finishing in the top 4
 
Legohamster said:
Liverpool are a bit like us, they have improved in one area but still have two flaws they haven't really looked at, however with a decent manager they should be finishing in the top 4
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Looking at Liverpool, I don't see them as being better than us - for all the criticism of our transfer policy, I think we've got a better squad, man-for-man. And I certainly don't see them as having a better squad than any of last year's Top 4. For me, even with a half-decent manager they are at most the sixth best team in the league (and depending on how a few others strengthen, maybe not even that).

So when you add in the fact that they probably don't have the right manager, I think they could be in for a struggle to finish Top 8 this year.

Most people would probably agree that, on paper, last year's Top 4 probably still have the best squads. There are weaknesses for sure (Man Utd's defence, for example) but by-and-large they have the best squads. Thing is, it goes without saying that teams can over, or under, perform in a given season. I'm half-convinced that van Gaal is going to have an under-performing season with United. No matter how much they spend, I think he'll still work hard finding a way to mess it up. And I think we are - without a doubt - the most likely team to capitalise on that. I am 100% confident that we will end August with a minimum of three new players - more likely four. The astute way we have done business this summer (strengthening our defence because the players were immediately available; offloading a lot of fringe players - a process that's still ongoing) suggests to me that Levy has learnt from previous windows and we are not going to leave glaring gaps in our squad this time around.
 
DublinSpur said:
Looking at Liverpool, I don't see them as being better than us - for all the criticism of our transfer policy, I think we've got a better squad, man-for-man. And I certainly don't see them as having a better squad than any of last year's Top 4. For me, even with a half-decent manager they are at most the sixth best team in the league (and depending on how a few others strengthen, maybe not even that).

So when you add in the fact that they probably don't have the right manager, I think they could be in for a struggle to finish Top 8 this year.

Most people would probably agree that, on paper, last year's Top 4 probably still have the best squads. There are weaknesses for sure (Man Utd's defence, for example) but by-and-large they have the best squads. Thing is, it goes without saying that teams can over, or under, perform in a given season. I'm half-convinced that van Gaal is going to have an under-performing season with United. No matter how much they spend, I think he'll still work hard finding a way to mess it up. And I think we are - without a doubt - the most likely team to capitalise on that. I am 100% confident that we will end August with a minimum of three new players - more likely four. The astute way we have done business this summer (strengthening our defence because the players were immediately available; offloading a lot of fringe players - a process that's still ongoing) suggests to me that Levy has learnt from previous windows and we are not going to leave glaring gaps in our squad this time around.
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Liverpools squad is better than ours if you go for man to man.

How many of our players would get into a mixed 11 if all fit. Kane/Lloris/TA and maybe Christian - with only Lloris 100% nailed on.

Lucky for us Rodgers doesn't have any idea what he is doing.
 
L'pool have thrown money about like a kid in sweet shop, there is no plan to their signings and I do not see them progressing any further then they are.
 
Legohamster said:
Liverpools squad is better than ours if you go for man to man.

How many of our players would get into a mixed 11 if all fit. Kane/Lloris/TA and maybe Christian - with only Lloris 100% nailed on.

Lucky for us Rodgers doesn't have any idea what he is doing.
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I think a combined 11 would have more of our guys in it than theirs.

I'm trying to think of which players I would pick from Liverpools squad. Countinho, Sturidge and Benteke are good players. There are probably a few you could argue about one way or the other but to be honest the rest I wouldn't be too pushed about really (unless I am forgetting someone).

I not sure Rodgers really knows what he's doing in the transfer market, that is if he is in total control. From the outside it seems so random that there has to be more decision maker involved.
 
Legohamster said:
Liverpool are a bit like us, they have improved in one area but still have two flaws they haven't really looked at, however with a decent manager they should be finishing in the top 4
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I don't think that Liverpool are like us in any way other than our squads are not quite as good as the teams that finished in the top four places last year.

There is no strategy at Liverpool and they have failed cover their weaknesses or to build for the future.
 
milo said:
I don't understand why you think that when we have held onto our key players when our direct competitors haven't and we have strengthened our weakest area, defence.

This to me feels very similar to last summer when everyone was getting carried away with Liverpool's signings and predicted doom because Everton signed Lukaku.
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For the simple reason that I feel we overachieved last season. Kane had a phenomenal debut season, which in my view, for any number of reasons is most unlikely to be replicated this season. Without his goals and Eriksen's early season heroics, I think we will struggle for goals this season. We simply don't have enough in our front four and reserves.

Similarly, our back four looked really shaky last year and although the new signings may address this to some extent, until we get better defensive cover in front of them, this is likely to continue .

We have youth in our team but not much stardust yet.
 
Pirate55 said:
For the simple reason that I feel we overachieved last season. Kane had a phenomenal debut season, which in my view, for any number of reasons is most unlikely to be replicated this season. Without his goals and Eriksen's early season heroics, I think we will struggle for goals this season. We simply don't have enough in our front four and reserves.

Similarly, our back four looked really shaky last year and although the new signings may address this to some extent, until we get better defensive cover in front of them, this is likely to continue .

We have youth in our team but not much stardust yet.
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Funny then that we were the only team in the league to have three players score ten goals or more.
 
milo said:
Funny then that we were the only team in the league to have three players score ten goals or more.
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Our record beyond those three is pathetic though, which highlights the problem. I believe Rose (a full-back!) comes next with three goals. Our reserve 'strikers' managed to score a grand total of three league goals between them... All it takes is an injury or loss of form to one or two of those three players and you could be looking at a side that barely has anyone capable of scoring.
 
Coys300 said:
Our record beyond those three is pathetic though, which highlights the problem. I believe Rose (a full-back!) comes next with three goals. Our reserve 'strikers' managed to score a grand total of three league goals between them... All it takes is an injury or loss of form to one or two of those three players and you could be looking at a side that barely has anyone capable of scoring.
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Isn't that the case with most teams, though? They have a couple of main goal scorers and the rest of the players chip in with the odd goal here and there. Not saying we don't desperately need another striker, but he would be subbing for Kane only, not Chadli and Eriksen. We also have Pritchard now and maybe Lamela will come good too in the goal scoring front, so maybe it's not all that bad after all.
 
Coys300 said:
Our record beyond those three is pathetic though, which highlights the problem. I believe Rose (a full-back!) comes next with three goals. Our reserve 'strikers' managed to score a grand total of three league goals between them... All it takes is an injury or loss of form to one or two of those three players and you could be looking at a side that barely has anyone capable of scoring.
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On the positive side, we scored the most goals outside of the top four last season. A lot of the players who did not contribute are being moved on and we have players like Pritchard and Alli coming into the squad who know where the goal is. I think that we'll be fine if we can sign cover for Kane, which I am sue is coming.
 
milo said:
On the positive side, we scored the most goals outside of the top four last season. A lot of the players who did not contribute are being moved on and we have players like Pritchard and Alli coming into the squad who know where the goal is. I think that we'll be fine if we can sign cover for Kane, which I am sue is coming.
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Always assuming he doesn't turn out to be the next Ade/Soldadudo ...
 
Rorschach said:
I think a combined 11 would have more of our guys in it than theirs.

I'm trying to think of which players I would pick from Liverpools squad. Countinho, Sturidge and Benteke are good players. There are probably a few you could argue about one way or the other but to be honest the rest I wouldn't be too pushed about really (unless I am forgetting someone).

I not sure Rodgers really knows what he's doing in the transfer market, that is if he is in total control. From the outside it seems so random that there has to be more decision maker involved.
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Clyne, Skrtel, Lallana,Henderson, Milner....
 
Take the rose tinted glasses off you lot. I'd take Clyne, Lallana and Hendersen in a heartbeat.
 
Lallana hasn't looked up to much since his move but I'd take Hendersen for sure and Milner
 
Raziel said:
You think those players would walk into our first 11?
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Absolutely.

Clyne is an outstanding right back, he has over taken walker - through injury and loss of form

Henderson and Milner are both better than Mason and bentaleb currently

Lallana or Lamela? It's close but I'd go for Lallana

Skrtel is a very good cb, he is better than what we have on our books consistancy wise
 
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